Author: L.E. Hansen

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Thoughts At The Coffee Club

I might have to share Coffee Club moments as the power is still out in my neighborhood. I gave up waiting at home as the call for coffee became absolutely dangerous. And my electronics needed charging.

But, a purpose: John Berger was born in Hackney, London, England on this day in 1926.

“When we read a story, we inhabit it. The covers of the book are like a roof and four walls. What is to happen next will take place within the four walls of the story. And this is possible because the story’s voice makes everything its own.”― John Berger, Keeping a Rendezvous.       Happy Birthday Johnny!

johnberger

Meanwhile, I’m sharing an outlet with another boother as the place is packed. I wonder how we will manage when the power grid is completely shut down due to someone’s ideological insanity. (Is there any other kind?)

More & more I think the off-the-grid folks have the right idea. Although this is becoming like the bomb shelters of the 50s, isn’t it? If you didn’t have one you had to hope someone who knew & loved you would let you join them. My neighbors wouldn’t share theirs with me. They said they didn’t have enough room in it for anyone else. Jesus. An awful thing to happen to a little kid.

The Descending Scale

From a YouTube video, concerto attention by Classic fm.

This is how a Ludi (Beethoven) concerto should be played. Quite impressive. As an aside, but related: my take on her thin is that of course she is built that way—we have to know she doesn’t eat. There is no time left after all of the practicing. The pianist is Alice Sara Ott.

To check out the pièce de résistance, tune in to the time mark of 9″30. Enjoy!

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More On The Familiar

Meta-Pleasure

MarksOpenLettersMonthly

There’s a fine article written by Alex Sorondo on Open Letter Monthly; it’s worth a read.

“There’s a great delight to be found in THE Familiar for those who stick with it, and in the larger community experience that surrounds it.” Read the insightful review of TFv5 and TF Season One by Alex.”       www.openlettersmonthly.com/meta-pleasure

And, by the way, the series gives new meaning to “I can’t right now—too busy reading.”

 

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About The Bat

The world’s largest bat is the “flying fox” that lives on islands in the South Pacific. It has a wingspan of up to 6 feet. Can you imagine what that would be like, to have one flying at you? Holy of Holies! On the other hand, the world’s smallest bat is the bumble-bee bat of Thailand, which is smaller than a thumbnail and weighs less than a penny. That fellow would hardly be seen. natureConservancy2natureCons1Bats are gorgeous and quite sweet. They do however get a bad rap from the general public. I’m not entirely sure why that is the case, although most claim it’s the face and the teeth and the very large ears. OK, I guess that’s a bit of a list. Add to that that most of them fly together in (intimidating) hordes. Plus, they do hang out together. And there are those myths…but has anyone actually known someone who had a bat fly into her hair?

And yet bats are needed and do great work keeping the insect and mosquito populations at bay.

brown-bat-release-1500x879

Posted by The Nature Conservancy

OK, I guess this little guy could turn some people off. That’s a shame too, as many of the bat species are in trouble in the United States.

And by-the-way, rest easy—there are no vampire bats in the States.

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Love Struck

I haven’t been this in love with a book or poet since the Moby Dick, Yeats, and Walt Whitman days. My books are friends, I consume them and take them to bed with me. The  books I’ve loved (and still do) are worn and written in. Filled with marginalia. Tattered. They can barely hang unto their bindings. And we have a mutual love for all that.

But not with The Familiar. It’s different. I handle the books carefully. I keep them safe and order more. I have 1 and 2, with 3, 4, and 5 on the way. It doesn’t matter if I ever read them but I will of course. I savor the layout and graphics as much as the prose, the plot, the story. And it’s just darling of Danielewski to include the bookmark ribbon. I love the cleverness of the parts of the whole, the stories within, before, and around the plot. “One Rainy Day in May” and “Into the Forest.” Or is it “wherein the cat is found…” Then “wherein the cat is hungry…”? We’ll find out as we go along and read along and admire and get lost—or found––in the pages where there’s “More than reading.”

Danielewski promises us a total of 27 books in the series. Think on that.

As for the actual plot and story that we follow along, there’s something more, something underneath it all. Maybe something that needs to be put together. Sooner or later I’ll write about that, most likely when I’m done with the reading. I can’t see offering an outline or discription before the end. But I couldn’t wait to talk about the books, love struck as I am. And I can’t see how I could ever be done with these books after I’ve read them. This is a lasting love, even tho it pains me not to write and draw on the pages.

Xanther’s the Zero and Xanther’s the Drain. We’ll see how this all turns out. She (a 12-year-old-epileptic) is our guide throughout the more than 800 pages of each book. At least through the first group of books. We’ll have to wait and see what happens within the next group. I’m not willing to venture a guess.